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Suzuki Gets a Little Awesome With its Alto Works Hot Hatch
Okay, I was never a huge fan of Suzuki’s automobiles, but they did fit the cheap, econ-box niche pretty well. However, many other more household names fit that niche too, which led to the brand’s eventual exodus from the U.S. Now, Suzuki has revealed a new model that could be one of the coolest super-compact hatchback ever built and one of the worst automobile this side of the Yugo. I introduce to you the Suzuki Alto Works.
This is the ultimate execution of minimalist design meets just enough power to make it dangerous. This hatchback rolls on a 97-inch-long wheelbase, and its curb weight checks in at a paltry 1,350 pounds. With such little heft to toss around, the Alto Works needs only a small amount of power to motivate it, and this power comes from a 660 cc turbocharged three-cylinder sourced from the Alto Turbo.
In the Alto Turbo, the tri-cylinder engine produces 64 horsepower and 70 pound-feet of torque, but Suzuki upped its torque to 74 pound-feet. While this power upgrade isn’t impressive, the Alto Works does gain a short-throw five-speed manual transmission. Power can hit the front wheels or all four wheels.
Also new for the Works model is a recalibrated steering system for twitchier movements, 15-inch rolling stock, and an updated suspension system with KYB shocks.
Inside, there are Recaro racing seats up front that are hilariously paired with your typical econo-box flat bench seat in the rear and sea-of-plastic dash, steel pedals, red contrast stitching, and a color-changing boost gauge that glows red as the psi increases.
While none of this will come close to putting the Alto Works on the same level as some of the awesome hot-hatches here in the States, like the Focus RS or the Golf R, but think of it as a poor man’s Fiat 500 Abarth, which happens to be the best terrible car ever created.
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